Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions apply to your use of rakilka.com, your restaurant visits, and reservations at Rakilka events. Please read them before you make a reservation.

1. Scope

These terms cover our restaurant services, our website, regular table reservations and event reservations. By using our website or reserving with us, you agree to these terms. Nothing in these terms limits your rights under New Zealand consumer law.

2. About Rakilka

Rakilka is a contemporary restaurant at 45 Victoria Avenue, Whanganui 4500, New Zealand. We offer dining, drinks and a programme of occasional evening events.

3. Restaurant Services

We serve food and drinks during our published opening hours. We may change opening hours, for example on public holidays, and will post changes on our website where possible.

4. Website Information

We aim to keep the information on our website accurate and up to date. However, menus, prices, events and opening hours can change, and the information on our website may not always reflect what is available on the day.

5. Menu Information

Our menus change with the seasons. The dishes on our website are examples and may differ from what we serve on the night. Descriptions and photos are for guidance only.

6. Prices

All prices are in New Zealand dollars (NZ$) and include GST. We may change prices at any time, but changes will not affect an event reservation once we have confirmed it.

7. Regular Table Reservations

Regular restaurant tables can only be reserved by telephone on +64 6 617 2212. A table reservation is confirmed once we agree it with you on the call. There is no fee to reserve a regular table. Please let us know if you are running late. If you arrive more than 20 minutes after your reservation time without letting us know, we may give the table to someone else.

8. Event Reservation Requests

Event places can be requested through the form on our Events & Evenings page. For groups of more than six, please call us on +64 6 617 2212. The form must not be used for regular table reservations.

Submitting the form sends a reservation request. It does not automatically secure a place.

9. Event Confirmation

After you submit a request, we check availability and event capacity. We then contact you by email or phone to confirm your place, put you on a waiting list, or let you know that the event is full. Where an event has a fee, your place is confirmed once we confirm it in writing and receive any required payment.

10. Event Capacity

Every event has limited capacity. Places are allocated in the order that requests are received and payment is completed where required. We may decline a request if the event is full.

11. Free and Paid Events

Some events have no event fee, and you pay only for what you order from the menu. Other events have a set price or an event participation fee, as shown in each event description. An event participation fee covers the items listed for that event, such as reserved seating, event organisation, a small plate, and a welcome drink or alcohol-free alternative.

12. Payment

Where a fee applies, we will explain how to pay when we confirm your reservation. Payments are processed by our payment provider. Food and drinks ordered beyond what an event includes are paid for on the night.

13. Your Responsibilities

When you reserve with us, please:

• give accurate contact details
• choose the correct event and number of people
• confirm age accurately for 18+ events
• tell us about allergies or dietary requirements in advance
• arrive on time
• let us know as soon as possible if your plans change

14. Venue Conduct

We want everyone to enjoy their evening. Please treat our team and other people in the restaurant with respect. We may refuse entry, refuse service or ask someone to leave if their behaviour is unsafe, abusive, disruptive or in breach of the law. If you are asked to leave because of your own conduct, any event fee may not be refunded, unless the law requires otherwise.

15. Food Information and Allergens

Our kitchen handles common allergens, including gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, soy, fish, shellfish and sesame. We take reasonable care to avoid cross-contact, but we cannot guarantee that any dish is completely free from allergens. Please tell us about allergies or dietary requirements before you order. If you have a severe allergy, please speak with us before your visit.

16. Alcohol

We serve alcohol in line with the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 and our licence conditions. Drinking alcohol is always optional, and we offer alcohol-free alternatives every evening and at every event. We will not serve alcohol to anyone under 18 or to anyone who is intoxicated, and we may refuse or stop serving alcohol at our discretion.

17. Age Requirements and 18+ Events

Rakilka is not an 18+ restaurant. You are welcome to dine with us at any age, subject to the law on alcohol and the supervision of minors.

Some events are 18+. The Wine & Small Plates Evening is 18+ because wine tasting is the focus. Other events may be marked 18+ where appropriate.

For 18+ events, everyone in your booking must be 18 or over. We may ask for proof of age where lawful, such as a New Zealand driver licence, a passport or a Kiwi Access Card. If you cannot show proof of age when asked, we may refuse entry to an 18+ event or refuse alcohol service.

18. Social Poker Evening

Rakilka is primarily a restaurant. The Social Poker Evening is one occasional 18+ social event in our wider programme of dining, wine, music and social evenings.

At the Social Poker Evening:

• no money is played for
• chips have no monetary value and cannot be exchanged for money, goods or credit
• no prizes are awarded
• the event participation fee covers only the items listed in the event description

Rakilka is not a casino. Our website does not provide online poker or any other online games. Nothing on our website should be read as an offer to play for money.

19. Restaurant Quiz Evening

Any recognition at the Restaurant Quiz Evening is small and non-cash, such as a shared dessert. It cannot be exchanged for money.

20. Event Photography

We may take photographs at some events to share on our website or social media. We’ll tell you when photos are being taken. If you would prefer not to be photographed, please let a member of our team know. We will not use a photo of you as the main focus of our marketing without your consent.

21. Event Changes

We may need to change parts of an event, such as the menu, timing or host, for reasons such as availability of produce. Any changes will stay in keeping with the event described. If we make a significant change, we will let you know and offer you a full refund if you no longer wish to attend.

22. Changes to Restaurant Services

We may change our menu, opening hours, drinks list or event programme from time to time.

Cancellation Policy

This Cancellation Policy explains how you can cancel or change an event reservation, what happens if you cancel late or don’t attend, and what happens if we cancel or reschedule an event. It does not limit your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or the Fair Trading Act 1986.

How to cancel

To cancel an event reservation, call us on +64 6 617 2212 or email info@rakilka.com. Please include your full name, the event name, the event date and the number of places you want to cancel. If you are cancelling only some places, let us know how many you’ll still need.

When to cancel

Please let us know as soon as your plans change, and give us at least:

• 72 hours before the event start time for paid events
• 24 hours before the event start time for events with no fee

Earlier notice helps us offer your place to someone on the waiting list.

What happens after we receive your cancellation request

We confirm your cancellation by email or phone within two working days. Where a refund applies, we tell you the amount and when to expect it. Your places are then released to the waiting list.

Cancellation before confirmation

If you cancel before we have confirmed your reservation, your request is simply withdrawn. Nothing is charged.

Cancellation after confirmation, with at least 72 hours’ notice

For a paid event, you can choose:

• a full refund of your event fee or event participation fee, or
• to move your reservation to another event, subject to availability

Late cancellations (less than 72 hours’ notice) for paid events

We will try to fill your place from our waiting list.

• If we fill your place, you will receive a full refund.
• If we cannot fill your place, we may keep up to 50% of the fee to cover costs we have genuinely incurred, such as food prepared or bought for your place. The rest will be refunded.

We will only keep an amount that reflects our genuine costs, and only where the law permits.

No-shows for paid events

If you do not attend and do not let us know before the event starts, we will usually be unable to refund the fee, because food and seating have already been prepared for you. If something unexpected prevented you from attending or contacting us, please get in touch, and we will consider your circumstances fairly.

Free-event cancellations and no-shows

There is no charge if you cancel or miss a free event. We do ask that you let us know as early as possible so that someone else can take your place. If you miss several free events without letting us know, we may ask you to confirm by phone before we accept future requests.

Moving your reservation

With at least 72 hours’ notice, you can move a confirmed reservation to another date of the same event, if one is available, or to another event of equal value, without charge. If the new event costs more, you pay the difference. If it costs less, we refund the difference. With less than 72 hours’ notice, we will try to help if places are available.

Refunds

Refunds are made to the original payment method within 10 working days of us confirming the refund. Your bank or card provider may take a few extra days to show the refund in your account.

If we cancel an event

If we need to cancel a confirmed event, for example because of illness, a kitchen or venue problem, severe weather or too few reservations, we will:

• let you know as soon as possible by email and phone, using the contact details you gave us
• give you a full refund of any fee you paid, or a transfer to another event if you prefer

If we reschedule an event

If we need to move an event to a new date or time, we will contact you as soon as possible. You can either keep your place on the new date, move to another event, or receive a full refund.

If we cannot run a confirmed event

If an event cannot go ahead or has to end early because of circumstances beyond our control, we will refund you in full or offer a partial refund that fairly reflects the part of the event that did not take place, whichever is more appropriate. You can always choose a refund instead of a transfer.

What happens to paid event fees if we cancel

Any event fee or event participation fee you paid for an event we cancel will be refunded in full, unless you choose to move to another event.

Regular table cancellations

To cancel or change a regular restaurant table reservation, call +64 6 617 2212 as soon as possible. There is no charge for cancelling a regular table.

23. Intellectual Property

All content on rakilka.com, including text, images, logos and design, belongs to Rakilka or is used with permission. You may not copy or reuse it for commercial purposes without our written consent.

24. Privacy

We handle your personal information in line with our Privacy Policy and the Privacy Act 2020.

25. Website Availability

We aim to keep our website available at all times, but we cannot guarantee uninterrupted access. We may suspend the website for maintenance or updates.

26. External Links

Our website may link to other websites. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those websites.

27. Your Consumer Rights

If you are a consumer, you may have rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and the Fair Trading Act 1986, including the guarantee that our services will be provided with reasonable care and skill. Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or changes those rights.

28. Limitation of Liability

To the extent permitted by New Zealand law, we are not responsible for indirect or consequential loss, such as travel or accommodation costs, if an event is cancelled or changed. This does not limit any liability that cannot be excluded by law, including under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.

29. Events Beyond Our Control

We are not responsible for failure or delay caused by events beyond our reasonable control, such as severe weather, natural disasters, power outages or public health orders. If this affects a confirmed event, the cancellation terms above apply, including your right to a refund.

30. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time. The version on our website at the time of your reservation applies to that reservation.

31. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand. Any dispute will be handled by the New Zealand courts or tribunals, including the Disputes Tribunal where appropriate.

32. Contact Us

Rakilka
45 Victoria Avenue
Whanganui 4500
New Zealand
Phone: +64 6 617 2212
Email: info@rakilka.com